Sanya Richards-Ross and Tichina Arnold Among those to be Honored at 14th Annual McDonald’s 365Black Awards Luncheon

Celebrating all female honorees for the first time in its history, the star-studded event to be hosted by actress Essence Atkins

OAK BROOK, Ill. – The 14th annual McDonald’s 365Black Awards is taking a fresh approach, hosting an elegant luncheon-style event to honor this year’s group of celebrities and influential women who make positive contributions to the community. The awards luncheon is themed “Power of Inspiration” and will celebrate the following honorees: Olympic gold-medalist and author Sanya Richards-Ross; actress and comedian Tichina Arnold, business executive and author Valeisha Butterfield-Jones; and McDonald’s owner/operator Marty Gillis. Additionally, Chasity Hale will be recognized alongside this lineup with the McDonald’s 365Black Community Choice Youth Award for her work as a writer, poet and community leader. Hosted by actress Essence Atkins, the awards luncheon will be held Sunday, July 2, 2017 during the 23rd annual ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola® in New Orleans.

McDonald’s 365Black Awards is known for drawing influencers and celebrity attendees, many of whom will grace the signature gold carpet prior to the luncheon. The Awards will include performances by R&B songstress Kelly Price and gospel artist Jekalyn Carr. In addition, Influential artist J. Muse will create custom illustrated portraits of each honoree, which will be showcased gallery-style at the luncheon.

“We look forward to honoring these exemplary women at this year’s Awards,” said Angie Blissett, McDonald’s U.S. marketing director. “As McDonald’s continues to raise the bar, we wanted this year’s Awards to be another example of that. We are committed to being deeply rooted in the communities we serve. The 365Black Awards is where we want to continue to recognize outstanding individuals and highlight their positive contributions to the community.”

McDonald’s 365Black Awards launched in 2003 as an extension of the company’s 365Black platform, which celebrates the pride, heritage and achievements of African-Americans year-round. To learn more about the Awards, please visit www.365Black.com and follow @365Black on Twitter, using the hashtag #365BlackAwards.

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ABOUT MCDONALD’S USA
McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to approximately 27 million customers every day. Nearly 90 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @365Black and Facebook www.facebook.com/mcdonalds. To learn more about the 365Black initiative, visit www.365Black.com.

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